Suits filed in crash that killed two girls

Posted: June 8, 2014 - 12:08am

ANCHORAGE — The families of two teenage girls who were struck and killed by a pickup truck have filed civil lawsuits against the man charged in their deaths.

The lawsuits filed by the families of Jordyn Durr and Brooke McPheters name Stacey Graham, 32, who is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and driving under the influence in the August 2013 deaths.

The lawsuits also name Graham’s former employer, Puget Sound Pipe and Supply Co. The lawsuits say the company arranged for alcohol to be served at a golf tournament it hosted and assisted in serving alcohol to Graham after he became clearly intoxicated, KTVA reported.

Also named is an undisclosed third-party identified as “Company X” in the lawsuits, which were filed May 30 and seek a minimum of $100,000 in damages for each family.

The 15-year-old friends were walking home along Abbott Road near 88th Avenue after doing some back-to-school shopping when they were struck. Graham had been seen just before the crash speeding recklessly, and his blood-alcohol content was about three times the legal limit for drivers, according to police.

Graham’s attorney did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.

Puget Sound Pipe spokesman Scott English said Friday that some points in the lawsuits are inaccurate.

The golf course on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson has a contracted food and beverage provider that served the alcohol at the event, not Puget Sound Pipe, said English, the Alaska division manager for the Seattle-based company. Also, Graham had carpooled to the event on base and did not drive himself to or from the tournament, English said.

The collision occurred at least five hours after Graham left the tournament, according to English. Also, the truck involved in the crash was not a company vehicle but belonged to Graham, English said.

The deaths were a horrible accident that upset not only the community but the company as well, English said.